<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>When The Game Goes Not As Planned by RedMitten</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430621">When The Game Goes Not As Planned</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedMitten/pseuds/RedMitten'>RedMitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SU Artificial Pearl AU fics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Games, Romantic Fluff, Something went wrong, but this way even better</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:53:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,146</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29430621</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedMitten/pseuds/RedMitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A game Steven learns about a minute earlier goes a little bit wrong in the end, and something that wasn't supposed to happen, happens.<br/>(Happy Valentine's Day (lol I'm a bit late) everyone who celebrates it!)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Spinel/Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>SU Artificial Pearl AU fics [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>When The Game Goes Not As Planned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>1. I wrote about an AU Spinel (From <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26612254">"Not Herself Anymore"</a>), but if you put aside some details, I guess she counts as some out-of-character Spinel :) Not much referring to her backstory, so everyone can read it freely.<br/>2. I was that lucky watcher who looked from the side and never took part in this little dance of chaos between the two players. I'm really glad I never did, I would be a screaming red mess XDD For those who discover this game for the first time, I wrote a little explanation in the end. All the rest is described in text :p<br/>Also. In Russia the places I tries to reffer to (like a sort of a little hall in the hallway) in camps is called 'tselovalnik' ('a place to kiss'), so... &gt;:3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steven has never been in camps.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For all his conscious life the community around him was made of his big human family — his dad and almost everyone in the Beach City — and Gems, first only three (four) of them, then all the corrupted ones joined once he found who they really are, then a few gems from Homeworld, then all the Homeworld… Quite much, of course, but there is no gain in asking them about human events or places, especially since they learn humans through asking, too. And Steven knew way less humans than gems. So, to put in short, in light race's eyes Universe was very much of an organic, and in man's eyes some sort of a weird part-alien that for some reason doesn't know a lot about the life of his own kind. Stuck in between.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To say closer to the deal, now that Connie was in a real camp for a few months, every call old friends had was like a dozen of pages from an amazing book of life for the hybrid: Maheswaran talked about a million of interesting things. Even if the whole day was full of studying, something happened among the students.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And one day, almost in the evening, after pretty emotional call from Connie Steven finds that in hallways where everyone lives there are special places where kids (teens) can chat or play whenever they have some spare time. And the main reason of the story dark haired girl told was one of those <em> kind of </em> games.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And this very <em> kind of game </em> made Steven want to try it just for fun once he heard how it goes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The rules made quite simple limitations: you should choose someone around your age (gems are ageless, so he guessed mental ages count), someone who won't take it too seriously and with who it won't be too embarrassing. Actually, if Steven had at least a half of day to think, he would most likely stop and left the idea, but this guy is too lucky when he looks for something, no matter needs he it really or not.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...Actually. He's VERY lucky. He had just left his room when it clicked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was light, but quiet on the main floor. Amethyst has gone to a party with her gem sisters since morning, Garnet has gone <em> somewhere </em> just the minute before the call, never explaining, where. Or more like answering with looong humming and "...mmmmnevermind. I'll be back late". Pearl, on the other hand, stayed at home almost all day, giving a bigger part of the time that planet took to rotate around itself to teach her dear pupil nice small things that living on Earth included. Well, 'dear', because Pearl was <em> very </em> careful with the words she spoke not to hurt her accidentally, and at times when constant self-control was forgotten, bird mom flew around her excitedly with lectures, advice and talks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They tried baking today, and "elder" Pearl left not so long ago, leaving her smaller "sister" without a worry: it was time to just wait, and whatever they were making, the tempting smell from the oven became stronger.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Steven went to a dark pink gem without a second thought. She was standing on her tiptoes and in ready-for-duty stance again. Faded pink eyes never left the oven window. Looks like the housewife-to-be (with that teacher and with that pupil's diligence there was no doubt) was waiting until the time's out so she will… do something.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe change the temperature? Pull out? Check? Steven doesn't know. Tho, he's here for something else.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>After the prejudice of obeying a Diamond were more or less gone, the thin gem was either cold, either played very convincing indifference at first. The times when she would show her surprisingly sensitive and shy personality were rare. But now, after so long, she could finally allow herself to be more open towards others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Something in Steven was happy watching her world slowly change: a bit of persistence by Gems' side, and an Artificial Pearl, much to her dismay, found out that planet Earth wasn't that "miserable" place. Maybe even worthy enough to fight for it and… leave one's past behind… Conscience and mostrous shame took her over and ate the poor thing inside out for a very long period of time. A dark, frightening expression noone could read appeared on sharp face features from time to time. But later the shame turned into a suspicion (that she doesn't deserve to be treated so nicely? that they were deceiving her?), suspicion turned into uncertainty, and finally, the uncertainty became something close to a trust. She still hid something from everyone, but Universe believed — after some time every weight on her tiny shoulders will be gone.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Now once-an-enemy felt almost comfortable with everyone, especially with Steven and Pearl. All three of them shared a few good experiences, so Steven didn't hesitate to call her his friend. The "friend" tho, once she heard it said out loud, froze and for about a minute goggled into nothingness. Better than laughing at the very idea of being friends, anyways.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Hi!" Steven smiled widely, stepping closer. She flinched, coming out from a trance of motionless state of waiting, and turned around. Steven almost learned her habits; she turned her glance back to oven to not seem shy. Which she was.</p>
<p>"...Hi."</p>
<p>"For how long have you been waitin'?"</p>
<p>She was silent for a moment.</p>
<p>"Just fifteen minutes more and it will be over."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The biggest problems in every talk with her were two things: she always tried to be short and always shied away from a straight answer if she disliked it for any reason.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the hybrid has seen how strong can Homeworld habits be, so it wasn't too hard to deal with and eradicate them step by step.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Why wontchu sit down? Timer will ring, I guess, or we could look at the clock from time to time, no big deal."</p>
<p>"It's fine. I'm used to it." A pause.</p>
<p>He talked a bit more, so she tried to follow suit not to seem rude. "And this way I'm sure I won't miss the moment time's over." She folded her hands, awaiting for a comment towards her hypertrophied tact. Amethyst likes doing 'em. It doesn't affect the pink gem, though.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I thought Pearl told you that bakery comes out different every time? Even if you really try", said Steven as smoothly as he could. She pressed her lips and looked away. It was okay, the talks about inconstancy of the results weren't easy for gems to come to terms with.</p>
<p>"She did."</p>
<p>"Then why won't we sit down! We could also play a game while waiting, if you want", raising the absolutely innocent eyes up to the ceiling, he said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Little Pearl's body flinched. The true origins of this detail stayed a mystery for a boy, but Spin-...earl didn't seem to have a bad blood with games or jokes. Most likely the opposite, she was very curious if they weren't breaking too much rules. Maybe she wasn't used to hearing something like that said to her?</p>
<p>"Okay."</p>
<p>She played nonchalant, but too bad Steven didn't doubt that she was intrigued and was right about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They sat on the sofa near the stairs. Steven moved pretty close to her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The gem put her hands on her knees and focused on her fingers. She made a long inhale, then a long exhale, and only then looked at Steven again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"What is this game?"</p>
<p>"Ah, it's quite simple!" he hopes his smile isn't too sly to scare her away. He can't wait to see her reaction! "I'll ask certain questions, and you'll give answers in a certain order."</p>
<p>Her eyebrows lifted higher than her butterflies that raised up out of curiosity. An adorable detail that sometimes killed all her play and revealed all the emotions. </p>
<p>He snickered.</p>
<p>"It's better than it seems. You'll get it after the first try. Just answer in exact this order: 'No', 'No' and 'Yes'. Y'got it?"</p>
<p>"...I guess?"</p>
<p>"No you didn't", he chuckled. A confusion on her face soon turned into a realization and even a challenging squint. "Should I explain it again?"</p>
<p>"No."</p>
<p>"Have any questions?"</p>
<p>"M-nope."</p>
<p>"So let's get started, shall we?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He smiled so brightly that she couldn't not lift the corners of her mouth just a little up in return. "Yes."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you know what is this?" Steven clapped his hands on his legs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...No?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you know what are those for?" The gem froze for a second, then answered with even bigger confusion in a high-pitched voice, "No??"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Want me to show?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"...I gue- Yes."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steven crossed his legs with satisfaction. Then almost fell from a sofa out of laughter: his pink friend looked right at him with the destruction of the intrigue in her eyes ready to revenge with jibes at him for hours.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hahaha! No, it's an example! That how the game will go. Here goes the real thing: do you know what is this?" he showed… his arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No", Spinel said with very unimpressed 'I'm giving you a chance, but you're already an idiot' look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"And do you know what is this for?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Wan'me show it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the victorious expression on his face Steven moved even closer and gently pulled Spinel, hugging her with one hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her body is so small, though when she stands straight she looks so tall. Steven is unexpectedly glad to find that he can hug her freely while she sits.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Spinel feels very awkward at the gesture; the area of ticklish-soft touch is way larger than two hands make, and it kind of reminds her of some scenes from… how are they called… um, camp-hearts? From the series that Lapis and Peridot are so eager to get her 'hooked on'. The green gem became very talkative and loud at certain moments, so Spinel learned easily that they count as touching ones. What's more, Steven snickers and his cheeks change their color just a little — like characters' did in the series, except for they were those who were hugged, not those who hugged… Photons' number in Spinel's light body increases exponentially and they become faster and faster, running through all her illusion chaotically, and she feels warmer.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steven won't notice it, to little of a temperature difference, but it's like a bell ringing above her head: something inside is slipping from her control again, and she still wonders what on Earth is happening in the first place. She hates that she knows nothing but has no idea how to fix it. Too hard to explain, too little of a change to really worry.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But little does she know that she already copies human behaviour: an unexpected blush is too visible from under her black scars.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you know what is this?" Steven sounds sly: he pokes his cheek with his finger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah. Their game. Stop thinking, AP.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you know what is this for?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No".</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She does remember that tiny animals hide something in them, and that cheeks also help chew the food, and… that's all. Is he gonna puff 'em out? Is he gonna make that weird sound with his hand? But game is game. So she just says 'no'.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Would you like me to show it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The boy quickly leans down closer to her and… and she suddenly feels something weird with her left cheek. And she hears a little sound.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Surprised, she opens her eyes. "Woah…"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He giggles, preparing something even greater, and his face color gets closer to red.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And so does hers.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This feeling was… nice. And she has no any idea what was that, cuz Steven was quick and sudden, and… and she has no idea what will be next. The movie company haven't watched further than two episodes; the experienced two had a hot argument about… ships??? after the second episode, interrupting the ongoing third one, then pausing it - the dialogs became unwanted in the heat of discussion.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She lost complete control, on the outside and in the inside…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Curiosity and </span>
  <em>
    <span>the feeling</span>
  </em>
  <span> tingle inside, and her gem feels like glowing; she can't wait what will his next round be.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"...Do you know what is this?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He touches his lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She raises an eyebrow without a shadow of sarcasm. Somewhy she feels so… ticklish, and inquisitive, and naive, like she was just a silly Spinel again, but she wanted to trust her... </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span> and not to look for possible ways for him to betray her silly expectations of even-she-doesn't-know what.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>How silly of her. And she is supposed to be smart enough for a Pearl.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He notices something… or remembers something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His breathing quickens, and he gets nervous. The constant smile on lips in question became curved.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Do you… know, what are those for?.."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No", she answers sincerely, even shaking her head a little. Though in her head thoughts try to come up with something, as the old habit commands. Articulation. Emotions. Humans eat…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Is he gonna tell her a joke? No, that would be too easy. He proved that this game tends to surprise, even if the rules are simple. ...He's gonna bite her, isn't he? Animals bite, humans don't. So it would be surprising even if now she is more or less aware of the possibility.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Steven was knocked right in his head with realization.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He didn't catch the moment from which the game went wrong. And only now he realized that from the beginning her reaction was less than he would expect considering her really shy personality and sort of anxiosity when it came to something out of her control or rules Homeworld gems are used to. The most obvious examples of which were pair dances, fusions… love gestures. The one caught off-guard and embarrassed here is mostly HIM, and it was supposed to be her. And HE knows what comes next and what not… wait, isn't she supposed to be confused by the 'obvious' perspective?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...</span>
  <em>
    <span>She doesn't know it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Oh my stars.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There were questions and a little fear of the unknown in her eyes wide open, but not of the sort he would prefer. No, he did embarrass her, she even blushed for the very first time in his watch… she looked so innocent and adorable with her ignorance that every shield Quartz had fell and his heart started beating loudly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She doesn't know. That means two well-known shippers didn't introduce her with needed concepts.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed with relief when she never asked awkward questions after their meetings. Now he thinks that she would have better been doing it… and he should have been sure she knows before doing a backflip while jumping into the unknown.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>If he does as supposed now, she will only be disappointed, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> deeper than she was in the start. She looks so open to him now, so true. He can't, he doesn't want to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And if he doesn't… that means he...</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Boy he's trapped himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The face of a human close to her became perfectly red with bright pinkish spots, and A-Pearl woke up from the weird state she was in. She followed the reflex: something is wrong, put all the emotion aside, stop all the processes and stand nearby ready for a command.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Except she didn't stand up and followed the commands but asked a question to weird-acting Diamond.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"My-Steven? Are you feeling well?" She dared to touch his forehead with her palm; Pearl said that humans, like gems, don't change colors easily, and it might mean that they are ill (and it's something really bad and Spinel should immediately call Pearl). Universe was hot.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steven flinched and carefully, but hastily put her hand away. His hand was cold.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...Is human body temperature that uneven???</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Gasp! Steven-!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It-it-it's not- I'm jus- uh-" he tried to justify himself in a desperate attempt, but as if forgot all the words and couldn't say anything.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He tried again, now talking slower.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I-it's really nothing, Spinel! Really! It's just I-I'm… nervous. Th-that's all!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"'Nervous'?! Why would you be? You're hot! And cold! Are you ill???"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"No-no-no, no, no!" he waved his hands actively. His black eyes ran from corner to corner through all the house. "It… It is.. adrenaline."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"It's what?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh- Adrenaline. It… uuhh… it travels through the blood when someone's very… nervous, like, the system is ready for a fast reaction in danger. So heart starts beating faster and hands become cold. That's all."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"But why are you…" she mumbled quietly, stopping in the middle sentence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steven almost learned her habits. She didn't take slipped words close to heart (if she was more or less calm and could think constructively, of course). But the first option she thinks of is the one where something is wrong with </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she looks away in "thought", trying to hide her guilt from others. He didn't like that she gained such a habit while learning Earth worth, but after a little time that shortens day by day — another detail he likes watching — she looks back at the interlocutor.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's not… huh. Nevermind. Um… D-do you… want me to show it?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He is glowing with the first color of the visible radiation spectrum up to the ears, his smile shiverels, and his eyes seem to have a hypnotising glow she had never seen before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She tries to think, exploring half-human with the glances, but she just can't. It feels like obeying, but not to an order.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>wants</span>
  </em>
  <span> to? She wants to... trust him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She is too afraid to answer out loud, so she nods, hoping it will be enough. Are they still playing?..</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hesitates two seconds more, summoning courage.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"C-close your eyes?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>She very slowly breathed in and out, then did as she was asked to.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What is gonna happen? Curiosity, and anxiety, and weird Steven that suddenly lost all his confidence on the third round, and those weird feelings causing her to act like a silly (and she is not silly) mixed with the shuttle run of every photon in her body — all of this became a huge tight knot with long loops and burned her insides with confusion.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But nothing scary happens. Nothing bad, and nothing painful, and she didn't even guess right that Universe is going to bite her. But it is unexpected. Some warm, gentle touch hugs her lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She barely opened her eyes in surprise.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It's even nicer and warmer than when he did something similar to her cheek. Her form's density becomes too uneven, temperature increases unforgivably fast, especially in chest, and she can't even register what is happening anymore. The knot untangles, and she loses the last support to any clear mind she had.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She is lost — in this weird feeling, in her weird </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling</span>
  </em>
  <span> — and forgets the world, melting in the moment.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The magical gentle touch disappears just as it came.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She opens her eyes in a slight confusion. Steven stubbornly looks somewhere else, moving fingers in emotion. He seemed kind of dazzled, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What did he do? How? She almost doesn't trust the illusory feeling on her lips, as if someone put flower petals on them, and she carefully touches with her fingers the place where that nice unknown still tickled her skin teasingly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Not even close. It wasn't hand. It couldn't be a cheek — soft, but it surely wasn't something even… so how did he...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>While she was completely lost in her thoughts, Steven more or less recovered from the emotional storm, quietly stood up and went to the stairs, causing her to look at him again. She looked at him so lovely, like a child again, with shiny and confused eyes and ajar mouth. In her darkened pink pupils there were so many shy questions she couldn't put in words now. His heartbeat quickens again, and he tries to get this frighteningly-nice tension and easiness in his head away, clenching and unclenching his fingers and never noticing a silly smile on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He still feels kind of high.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Uh, that's… a-all."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn't come up with more, so hurried upstairs.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What a turn of events following his little stunt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He falls on his bed, replaying their stupid game over and over again. His head burns, and he hides his face from himself in a blanket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When he woke up, it takes about three seconds to remember why he gets up while it's dark on the other side of the glass, then he immediately blushed. He's such an idiot… He got into a provocative game with Spinel without a second thought.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...He is a dang idiot!!! She doesn't know what he has done! She's gonna ask questions! Or worse! She can tell someone!!! If the Gems find out, it's gonna be--!</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With a lightning speed he rushed down the stairs, but froze on last steps, barely preventing himself from flying the rest way down on his face. In the kitchen area, there were already Garnet and Pearl talking. They didn't notice him, but the gem guilty of his racing heart did. She stood as always — straight and with folded arms near her chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He disappears upstairs faster than any living being can.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Steven kept acting weird, even though it was about half of an hour since their game. Just a moment ago he hurried down, then he looks at her with almost a Big Bang in his eyes — </span>
  <em>
    <span>and there's the exact same color on his face and that emotion when he did </span>
  </em>
  <span>something</span>
  <em>
    <span> mixed with embarrassment and she can't think and she feels like silly again</span>
  </em>
  <span> — and then he ran away faster then he did from his Diamond family when they didn't see him. Well, as the matter of fact, he ran away from his Crystal Gem family now, for whatever reason.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She has a million questions and so many unknown feelings, and she stays trapped in her own ignorance… She wants to ask everything. So Spinel called her teachers, but before had a time to actually ask, stopped. There came a thought that maybe it's better to ask Steven himself. Ot felt… personal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But now all eyes are on her, and they smile gently and reassuringly. Everyone knows that Spin-earl is very unsure when it comes to questions that object the rules of the Gem Empire. In which questions, ironically, Crystal Gems are pros.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She looks away, and her eyes meet the microwave. They are waiting for a question… but she is too afraid that she can make a wrong step. But they are waiting... she still feels terrible when she makes someone wait.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Her face slowly lights up with darker shade of pink. "Um… uh-m…"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She can't get out! She can't stop thinking, and she thinks of something connected to their game, but she already started asking so she has to come up with another question, but she can't ask, she feels that- weird </span>
  <em>
    <span>feeling</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and she can't describe it normally, and if she tries, she will look even more silly than she feels! 'What does the face color mean?' But she will have to explain where she saw it… and if she names the unnatural color — like yellow, can human faces turn yellow? — she will feel just terribly ashamed and will probably spill… Maybe, something about gems? About her. Her light illusion did act weird, and her head rang, and chest and head felt hot, as if the rhythm of her gemstone suddenly went wrong and stopped beating in tact. Garnet should know about the rhythms. Because she is… the fusion of two different melodies, but she feels and sounds whole and harmonic. Maybe she could get close to an answer with a side question?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Oh her radiant Diamonds. Forgive her for this impudence, she thought she would never ask anything about it, but she really feels helpless...</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Co-could you… uh… te-tell me about the… f-fus--? eeE</span>
  <b>E</b>
  <b>
    <em>E--"</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She immediately turns all bright red and shrinks into a squeaking ashamed and embarrassed as Black Hole ball on two thin legs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She is not ready to ask about it!!! NOPE! BUT SHE ALREADY DID, OH STARS </span>
  <b>WHAT A DISGRACE</b>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>White ex-ballerina blinks, and after a second gets what the talk will be about judging by a Garnet that smiles wider than a Cheshire Cat right there and then. Before sinking into a reverie how they should start the complicated topic, Pearl pointed her friend with an elbow: "Oh don't be so excited, Garnet! It's a normal, common question, and you already buzz like when you first saw Smoky."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Ruby and Sapphire inside scream victoriously — well, mostly inside and a little out loud — because of what they 'saw'.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But noone needs to know for now. Garnet is good in keeping secrets just as she is good at revealing them.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In original ending of the game Player 1 would have just lean closer and then make blrblrblrblrblr with his finger and lips. So the second person is caught absolutely off-guard. Tho IRL sometimes people would do the 'wrong' ending on purpose (because they liked someone, for example)...</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>